Friends,

A few random thoughts on (another) cold winter evening.

I have finished reading the little book of winter poems that I read every winter. Alas, I finished them, but winter is not finished with me.

Quote from Robert Shaw: "When volunteer singers sing for love", he said, "it is hard to exclude them from the greatest works that can be sung."

I am still glowing from attending the gorgeous, thrilling, and unique concert of Apollo's Fire on Friday evening: Sephardic Journey: Wanderings of the Spanish Jews. Most remarkable, Jeffrey Strauss as cantor and the marvelous Karim Sulayman, tenor. The program beautifully wove together sacred and folk music of the Sephardic culture.

And an amazing surprise for me was to see a feature article in today's Cleveland Classical about a concert at Hiram College by the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble. Since September we have been a Friendship Family to a Chinese law student who plays traditional Chinese music and has been playing in this ensemble. We have had the privilege to learn about Chinese music and culture from her while acting as an American host family to her.

Offered below is the slate of officers for nomination for the April Chapter elections. I would like to commend the committee on presenting such a strong slate. Special thanks to Betty Meyers who stepped in to finish the process when Chair Max Bunker had to step aside for health reasons.

Best to you,

Fern 

 

What is Pedals, Pipes and Pizza? It is a National AGO program to introduce young piano students to the organ. Our chapter is co-sponsoring this event with the Conservatory Outreach program of Baldwin Wallace. The program will be Saturday, March 8, from 10 am to 2 pm in the Chapel at BW. It is geared toward Middle School and High School students, ages about 11 to 16, and is free - teachers and parents of the participants are also welcome. AGO is providing pizza and beverages for the for the participants. If you have piano students in your church or friends who teach piano we would be most appreciative if you could email to them the flyer announcing the event and registration form, which can both be downloaded as PDF files at the bottom of the chapter's home page. 

Questions? please contact Barbara MacGregor, macmus@roadrunner.com or Nicole Keller, organ Instructor at BW, at nkeller@bw.edu or by phone at 216-310-1694.

With appreciation,

PPP committee: James Buncher, Sue Huszai, Annie Kaschube, James Leek, Brian Wentzel; Nicole Keller and Barbara MacGregor, co-chairs

The Chapter Nominating Committee has submitted the following names for the Cleveland AGO Chapter Officers and Executive Committee members for the coming election:

Dean: Paul Guyer
Sub-Dean: Matthew Skitzki
Secretary: Jan Jones
Treasurer: Don Jackson

Executive Committee (3 year term expires 2017) three to be elected

James Leek
Barbara MacGregor
Brian Wentzel
Carol Wipper

Additional nominations may be made by petition if each petition is signed by five (5) members of the Chapter in good standing and submitted to the Chapter Secretary within thirty (30) days of this announcement of the slate. (by March 27, 2014)

Nominating Committee
Max Bunker, Betty Meyers, Robert Schneider, Leah Hottel, Tim Hemry


BIOGRAPHIES

NOMINEES FOR 2014-2015 AGO OFFICERS

DEAN: PAUL GUYER (CAGO). Paul brings over thirty years experience of musical leadership having served in congregations large and small. Paul believes in an inclusive approach to making music; incorporating a wide variety of styles, interests, and abilities. He has served in various denominations, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, and Church of the Brethren. He holds a degree from Westminster Choir College, and has completed the Education for Ministry course from the University of the South School of Theology. Paul has sung in the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, the Westminster Symphonic Choir and has performed with Robert Shaw, Robert Porco, Franz Welser-Most, Zubin Mehta, and Leonard Bernstein. Paul has also worked in business as an IT professor and has earned the Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.

SUBDEAN: MATTHEW SKITZKI (SPC). Matthew is a proud member of the Cleveland Chapter of AGO since 2011. He is Music Director at Church of the Western Reserve in Pepper Pike and staff accompanist at Hathaway Brown School. A native of Cleveland, Matthew studied piano at CIM with Betty Zimmer, and organ with Adeline Huss. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in Keyboard Literature and a Bachelor of Jazz Studies at Bowling Green University and then a MM in Piano Performance with Grammy Award-winning Dr. Angelin Chang at Cleveland State University. While earning degrees in piano, Matthew pursued organ study with advice from Todd Wilson and Chris Toth, and earned a Service Playing Certificate in 2013 with hopes of advancing to the Colleague level by 2015. Matthew also sings bass with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and joined them on their 2013 European tour. Matthew has served as Facebook Administrator and on the Website Committee for the Cleveland Chapter of the AGO, and would be honored to serve in the capacity of sub-dean.

SECRETARY: JAN JONES (SPC). Jan is organist at Dover Congregational Church in Westlake. Although she was trained as a scientist, she was "drafted" to learn organ to assist at the church she was attending. She joined the Guild immediately and has been an active member for over twenty years. Gradually she began to freelance, and she was thrilled to earn her Service Playing Certificate. Her teachers have included Peg Limkemann, Nicole Keller, David Blazer, and the many generous Guild members who taught and encouraged inexperienced organists in workshops and classes. She also studied piano with Dr. Gerald Evans at Lorain County Community College while taking the Associates Degree music course sequence there. Although her organ education is unconventional, she is passionate about the instrument and is eager to give back to the Guild, which has been so helpful to her. She is living, enthusiastic proof that there is more than one way to become an organist. She would be pleased to serve for another year as Secretary.

TREASURER: DON JACKSON is in his second year as chapter treasurer. Prior to becoming treasurer he served as publicity chair and before that as a class member. Don has over 20 years of experience in business IT systems that he brings to the position and has just finished a certificate program in nonprofit administration. He is currently working as a contract bookkeeper and as organist at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Westlake.


EXECUTIVE BOARD NOMINEES (3 YEAR TERM)

JAMES LEEK learned organ building while apprenticing under his father, a master organ builder, as a teenager and later while pursuing a degree from BGSU in Industrial Technology Education. In 1992 James succeeded his father as President of Leek Pipe Organ Company. Organ building is a personal calling for James complimenting his Christian faith. He is a current member of the American Institute of Organ Builders, the Organ Historical Society, the AGO, and St. Clarence Church. James is an avid golfer, skier, and loves the outdoors. Despite his 6'7" frame, over the years he has mastered the skill of working in tight corners and small spaces of organ chambers. You can find information on James and his firm at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/james-leek/78/207/137.

BARBARA MacGREGOR, AAGO, DMA, has been a member of both Cleveland and Akron AGO chapters for many years. She was awarded the Associate Degree from the Guild and has served Cleveland Chapter AGO as Sub-Dean/Program Chair from 2012 to the present. In 2012 she served as Co-Chair of the NYACOP Semi-Finals held in Cleveland. She is also past Dean of Akron Chapter and continues to serve as Education/Certification Chair. Barbara was Professor of Music at The University of Akron for 35 Years teaching Organ, Harpsichord, Music Theory courses and serving as Performance Coordinator and Keyboard Studies Chair. Barbara was Organist/Director of Music at two downtown Akron churches for 35 years. Summer found her in Lakeside, OH, as organist for the Chautauqua-on-Lake-Erie program. She was Director of Akron's Trinity Organ Series and has also served on the boards of the Tuesday Musical Association in Akron and the Music from the Western Reserve concert series in Hudson.

BRIAN WENTZEL, MSM, FAGO, is Director of Music at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lorain, OH, where he has served since 2006. At First Lutheran Brian has developed the FIRST music series, and was instrumental in procuring an Historic Organ Citation for the church's organ, all while remaining focused on the core mission of leading congregational singing. Brian is an active performer in the Cleveland area, singing with Apollo's Singers and Quire Cleveland, and regularly playing organ recitals and festivals. His musical compositions are published by Augsburg Fortress and Hope, and his writings have appeared in The Canterbury Dictionary of Hynmology, Word and World, and the curriculum of Leadership for Musicians.. Brian is currently Dean of Lorain County AGO and also serves on the Program Committee and Website Committee of AGO Cleveland. Brian's degrees are from Northwestern University (BMus, BA, 2003) and Luther Seminary (Master of Sacred Music, 2006.)

CAROL WIPPER. Although I have not been active recently in the AGO, was on the Program Committee in the past. I also helped with the competitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art as a Board member of The Musart Society. I am currently auxiliary organist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and substitute at St. Christopher's, Gates Mills. Other musical involvements include being formerly on the Board of Apollo's Fire and now on the Board of The Cleveland International Piano Competition. I regularly attend concerts at CIM, Severance Hall and City Music venues.

The Steinway Cleveland Piano Gallery and the T.S. Good Church Organ Company

At our showroom: 334 East Hines Hill Road, Boston Heights, Ohio 44236 (Just off Route 8 by the Turnpike) Friday, March 14, 2014, 7:00 to 9:00 PM.

Dan Miller, renowned organist, will present a workshop for organists and organ music lovers, entitled "Sound Choices For the Organist." Dan will offer tips and practical suggestions to organists to expand their opportunities for creative selection of organ stops and managing console functions. He will also offer useful organ music repertoire ideas, always of interest to the organist. Explore creative organ stop and ensemble selections for any worship style. ("Make me sound good!"). Discover useful repertoire including free internet downloads. Learn about organ record and playback. Free organ music by Dan Miller will be given to each attendee. Call 800-356-0437 if you have questions.

The AGO's new Online National Collection and Remittal of Dues (ONCARD) system allows members to pay their dues online using a credit card. Members can also update their personal information, search for Guild members, and make contributions.

Members will be able to review and update their personal information starting the first week of March.

In April we will launch the 2014-2015 dues season and will begin invoicing members by email.

Gerry Mass, our Cleveland Chapter Placement Officer collects and updates job openings in the area.  Although they are not listed in the weekly updates, there is a link in the "Quick Links" section every week that will take you to the updated list on the chapter website.  Questions or need help finding a position? Email: placement@agocleveland.org

Each week on Thursday, we publish this email newsletter to help you stay informed about activities and programs of the Cleveland AGO Chapter. Questions or comments? Please let us know:

admin@agocleveland.org.

Have a news item for a future issue? Send to: newsletter@agocleveland.org

The deadline each week is Tuesday at 5 PM for Thursday publication.

American Guild of Organists Cleveland Chapter
21600 Shaker Blvd
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
216-751-2320